Frazier Gifts $25 Million to U of L

Philanthropist Owsley Brown Frazier has given the University of Louisville Foundation a $25 million donation.The gift will go toward the foundation’s $1 billion capital campaign, which was increased this past summer becoming the school's largest capital campaign goal in its history. Frazier, who is also chair of the campaign,  made the announcement Monday and said he and his family have now donated over $40 million to U of L over the years."I give to the University of Louisville because I love it. I made this gift at this time because Jim Ramsey has been the best president that I've ever served with. And I've served with a number of them," said Frazier.Frazier is the great grandson of George Garvin Brown, who founded Brown-Forman Corp., one of the largest wine and spirit companies.Since increasing its campaign goal the U of L Foundation has raised around $582 million. U of L President James Ramsey said Frazier has been instrumental in maintaining U of L’s state mandate to be a premier research university.“Because of Owsley Frazier the University of Louisville can achieve the public agenda we’ve been given to increase economic opportunity and the quality of life for people on this community,” Ramsey said.This donation will be used to leverage other funding sources, he said.“And what we want to do with this gift is use this gift to encourage other gifts to encourage the university to look at all funding sources, so this $25 million becomes $100 million," said Ramsey.